


In Another Life

by Starsoffoolsgold



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Astronomy, Earth, M/M, Ocean, Voltron, beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-25 22:58:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10774254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starsoffoolsgold/pseuds/Starsoffoolsgold
Summary: In another life, Keith wouldn't be so alone. But when he meets Lance McClain, maybe, for the first time, he can focus on this life. Maybe it won't be so bad.Voltron Earth/high school au, bc Klance belongs in every universe





	1. Chapter One

Lance stared out at the ocean, thoughts swimming in his head like carp. At times like this he hardly noticed the world around him, which was troublesome considering he was supposed to be working. Something about the waves lulled him into a trance, and everything else went away. 

He didn't hear the childrens' laughter turn into terrified screams. He was oblivious to the shrieking of helpless citizens looking to him. He didn't hear Takashi Shirogane shout, "Lance, help her!" All he heard were the seabirds and the waves crashing in. 

But when he did hear it, he snapped into action faster than a rocket. He jumped from his peaking lifeguard chair and sprinted across the burning sound to the center of commotion. Shiro, upon seeing Lance gazing off, had taken matters into his own hands and swam out to the drowning surfer, but even he couldn't get through the tremendous waves. 

Nobody should've been in the water in the first place. 

Lance, doubting his capabilities, began to sweat. Before he dove into the water he froze, unsure of how he would save her. What did he have that Shiro didn't? 'Nothing,' he thought, 'absolutely nothing.' 

The freezing water melted the sand under his toes, and instinctively he went deeper. He walked until the water was shin deep and he finally dove in, gliding smoothly, farther and farther. He broke above the surface and gulped deep breaths into his lungs before submerging himself once more. The saltwater made his lips tingle, encouraging him to keep going. 

Before he knew it he had passed Shiro, and reached the young girl who was clinging to a surfboard only to slip beneath the surface. She would find the strength to surface and cling onto it only to repeat the cycle. Lance doubted she would've lasted another minute.

"Grab onto my shoulders," he instructed. "I'll bring us back to shore." 

Her soaking hair hid her facial features, and she fearfully forced breath after breath sharply, knowing she would be submerged soon enough. She gasped and slipped below the water again, so Lance grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him as he began the swim back. 

In slow motion, a wave that, from Lance's angle, appeared to be a tsunami of lost hope crept into his vision. The girl had minimal consciousness; she did not see it. In terror, he held her to him tightly. Fear gripped his throat and he didn't say anything. He didn't warn her. 

It crashed onto them and effortlessly tore them apart. Lance was shoved underwater and an instant serenity graced him. The waves pushed him in a direction and he followed. Time slowed down, but in his calmness he didn't worry about about the lack of oxygen. The wave granted him life, and he floated to the surface. 

He looked around, expecting to see her, but he did not. He waited patiently, forgetting that she was not as at home in the water as he was; forgetting that the water was a dictator, and did not often spare people. He went back underwater and forced his eyes open. The salt stung, but he continued to search.

She was not anywhere. 

Shiro finally reached him when the last ounce of strength left his body. He couldn't continue searching as the waves continued to crash onto him. "She's gone Lance," Shiro shouted roughly above the noise. "We can't save her anymore." 

Lance collapsed onto his sturdy shoulders and allowed himself to be carried back. His tears were hidden amongst the saltwater already on his face, and his sharp breaths were explained by the difficultly in saving a drowning kid. Lance looked up at the clear blue sky and slipped off of Shrio's back, letting the serenity of being underwater wash over him. He wouldn't have to admit what happened until he got back to shore. 

He enjoyed his peace as the sadness tore him apart inside. The guilt ate away at his 'peace' until finally, he swam back to shore himself. Heavily, he collapsed onto the sand and slept. Nobody dared wake him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you enjoyed it/had any questions/just wanted to chat then go ahead and follow my twitter: @Momiminspace
> 
> It's dedicated to Voltron and I really need Twitter friends so hmu -MaryAnna Wick


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years after the accident, a chance encounter on the beach may lead to something bigger.

Lance watched everybody in the water carefully. He had done so ever since the accident two years ago. However, today was different. Today his eyes wandered to someone on the sand. 

A strikingly pale, skinny figure stood uncomfortably in the sand. He squinted in the sunlight and ran his fingers through his black hair nervously, probably wishing he were anywhere else. Lance almost didn't recognize him as Kieth Kogane. The Kieth he knew from school was cool and mysterious, maybe out of place, but never awkward. He was the intimidating dark horse of the junior class. This couldn't be Kieth. 

Next to him was a beautiful, dark-skinned girl with dreamy white hair. She stood confidently next to him, contrasting him so much that Lance almost didn't believe they could possibly be friends. But there they were. Lance didn't recognize her at all, which unsettled him, because she was the type of girl you recognize. 

The girl took his wrist and happily pulled him to the shore, where she went shin deep into the water and splashed at him. He couldn't help but crack a smile and kick water back at her. A strong wave came at them while he laughed, knocking him back with such force that he fell. The girl looked worried and reached out to help him up, but he took her hand and pulled her down with him. 

Lance laughed and continued to watch them, his heart swelling. He'd never particularly like Kieth before, but seeing him letting go now, he thought he had been missing out this whole time. 

All too soon, the other lifeguard, who had only just been hired yesterday, arrived and relieved Lance of his duty. Lance surveyed everyone in the water once more and climbed down. He heard the lifeguard scuff and mutter, "You're not a sharpshooter man, calm down." Lance elected to ignore him and walked to the snack bar, where his friend, Pidge, relaxed and enjoyed the lack of customers. 

"Maybe if you looked more friendly you'd get half the customers Hunk does," Lance suggested. 

Pidge growled, "Bite me," and threw a pack of skittles at him. He happily opened them and popped a mouthful. "We don't get any customers because Hunk, the greatest cook in all of Alabama, is right next door." 

Shiro had quit being a lifeguard after the accident. Unable to bring himself to leave the beach, he opened a little snack shop with his college savings (against everybody's advice). Of course, they got plenty of customers, because he happened to be incredibly handsome, and nobody could resist stopping by for nachos or soda. Still, they were no competition to the Pizza Shack next door, who had a young chef working part time. People came from all of Alabama to taste his cooking. Really, Lance didn't blame them, and neither did Shiro. 

"Pidge, please try not to convince our best customer to leave us," Shiro joked as he restocked under the counter. 

"He doesn't count as a customer, Shiro, he never pays for anything!" Pidge protested, stifling a laugh. 

"Yeah, but you keep me around anyway," Lance smiled goofily, casually leaning on the counter. 

Without warning, Kieth and the girl he was with approached. She stood behind him as he placed the money on the counter and ordered a bag of Skittles and a Twix. Startled, Lance choked on the Skittles he was wolfing down and coughed loudly. Shiro, sensing trouble, rose from under the counter and looked to Lance with worry. Before he could act, the girl gave him the Heimlich. 

It worked, and Lance, incredibly embarrassed, thanked her. She smiled and nodded in return. Shiro's jaw dropped as he looked at her in absolute wonder. He didn't even noticed Kieth until he spoke. 

"On second thought, we'll take two Twix bars," he ordered, unbothered, as if near death experiences happened everyday. 

Shiro looked to Kieth awkwardly. "Hey," he smiled softly — hopefully. Keith merely ignored it and looked away, causing Shiro to uncomfortably pretend he had some more inventory that required his attention. Pidge handed him the candy after giving Shiro a comforting glance. Keith offered the money once more, but Pidge put their hand down. The whole scene was probably the awkwardest moment of Lance's life. 

"You saved a loyal customer, really, it's on us," they smiled at the girl behind Keith. He mumbled a "thank you" and pocketed the money. 

Before they could walk away Pidge asked her, "Where did you learn to do that? " 

The girl looked blankly at them for a second before turning to Keith questioningly. Pidge furrowed her brows and titled her head, only understanding when Keith began translating what Shiro had said into a series of hand signs. 

So she was deaf. The girl signed back to him, and Keith replied, "Her mother was a doctor." 

Pidge smiled and effortlessly signed back, 'That's cool! My mother stays at home.' 

The girl broke into a grin upon finally being able to converse without a translator. 'What's your name?' She asked. 

She fingerspelled 'Pidge' and asked for the girl's name in return, to find it was Allura. 

Shiro, unable to hear any conversation, assumed they left and asked from below the counter, "It wouldn't be so weird if he just stopped pretending he doesn't know me! I mean, I sucked the guy's dick; that doesn't just go away!" 

Pidge and Lance burst out in laughter, leaving Keith to blush profusely and Allura to look around. Keith scowled and roughly took Allura's hand, leading her back to the shore where they could collect more shells. 

"You—you can come out now, Shiro," Lance said through laughter. 

Shiro rose slowly, his face a bright shade of fuchsia, and with his voice a couple octaves too high, said, "I cannot believe I said that." 

"Well, we sure are glad you did! That has got to be the most hilarious thing I've seen all week!" Pidge cackled, nearly overturning the rack of candy. 

Lance nodded in agreement, and being Lance, added, "So, how was it?"

"What?" Shiro asked innocently. Having known Lance for three years, he really should've known better. 

"His dick, man!" Lance rolled his eyes and laughed more. 

Shiro's blush deepened ten shades, and he only managed to mutter, "Why do you care?" 

Now it was Lance's turn to blush. He immediately dropped the topic and began picking at something under his nails, but when the silence grew to be too much, he practically shouted, "Pidge, when's the English homework due?" 

"Lance, I'm right here," Pidge sighed, "so don't be so loud, okay? It was due last week." 

"WHAT?!" Lance's jaw dropped; he definitely wasn't listening to Pidge's request. "BUT—HOW?" 

Shiro chuckled and told him that if he stopped spending all his time at the beach he might have less trouble with deadlines. Of course, Lance already knew that, but he couldn't help it. If it were up to him he would never leave the beach, because the beach was where he had claimed sanctuary. Here he was safe; he had the ocean to protect him. As long as his toes felt the crumbling sand stinging his feet, or the cold water splashing against his shins, nobody could hurt him. 

So the fact that Keith was on his beach meant he was good, because nobody bad would come to such a Devine place. Maybe it was ridiculous to the outside eye, but it made perfect sense to Lance. Maybe that was why Lance was so surprised to hear a high pitched screech — a cry for help in the face of danger. 

Lance hadn't heard that sound echoing against the wave in two years. 

Shiro jumped over the counter in a hurry, sprinting towards the scream. Lance sprung into action, running after Shiro, desperately hoping nobody was hurt. The ocean heard his prayer, or so Lance believed. 

Shiro stopped so quickly Lance almost ran into him (fortunately he managed to put on the breaks just in time). He looked up and saw Keith, shrieking and rubbing his sandy foot while hiding behind Allura. Allura was laughing uncontrollably, and as Keith realized the gravity of his outcries, everybody staring at him, he slowly put his foot down and regained composure. 

"What happened?" Shiro asked breathlessly. Nobody answered, but Lance didn't need them to. The answer was right in front of him, he had discovered. 

He chuckled softly and picked up the source of commotion — a jellyfish. 

Keith tensed up and slipped further behind Allura upon the sight of the atrocious creature. Shiro realized what had happened and couldn't help but laugh too. Keith, unhappy with the growing laughter, tried to storm off, but the new lifeguard stopped him. 

He finally arrived on the scene and grabbed Keith roughly by the shoulder, shining a light in his eyes. He shouted in his face, spit flying everywhere, "SIR, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" 

Keith shook him off roughly and hissed, "I'm fine! I just—" 

"—the situation is under control, Jonas. I'll file the report, so just go back to your station." Lance swept in, bossing around the new recruit. Jonas looked as though he had something to say, but turned and retreated nonetheless. "Sorry about Jonas," Lance beamed at Keith, "he's new." 

"Erm, no problem," Keith mumbled, looking down at the sand. 

Lance focused his attention back to the jellyfish, who he now noticed was dead. "Poor, little guy," he whispered, swimming out far enough where he could be sure the waves wouldn't carry it back. When he returned he saw Shiro and Keith looking everywhere but each other, and Allura inspecting sea shells happily. 

Shiro threw his arm around Lance and commended him, "Nice work today." 

Lance smiled gratefully and the two strolled back to the snack bar, where Pidge would force them to recount the action's every detail. Before they could, however, Keith stopped them. 

"Lance!" He called out, earning both Lance's and Shiro's attention. He shifted his feet and took a deep breath before asking, "Why'd you take it back out to sea? It was already dead..." 

Lance smiled simply and explained, "The circle of life, I suppose. The ocean welcomes death." 

If Lance has been more perceptive, he would've registered Keith's facial expression as something more than confusion. He would've known Keith was also impressed, stunned, and conflicted. Maybe if Lance has simply observed Keith's reaction to the heavy line, it would have saved him mountains of heartache. 

And maybe if Keith had remembered that, he would've been a little more careful.


	3. Chapter 3

The gang sat around the circle lunch table explaining yesterday's events to Hunk, who was visibly distraught upon missing out. 

"And then Shiro started talking about his dick right in front of him!" Lance cackled, doubling over in laughter and pounding his fist on the table. He knocked food onto the floor, but was too enthralled by the current conversation to notice. 

"Lance," grumbled Pidge, "you're telling it wrong! Shiro started talking about how he sucked his dick right in front of him! There's a difference." 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lance cracked his signature smile. 

Hunk noticed Shiro practically hiding under the table and gave him a pitiful smile, as if Shiro were a wounded animal. Pidge and Lance didn't feel too bad, since they rarely got the opportunity to tease their cool, older friend. "That's right," Hunk recalled, "I forgot you two dated." 

"Tried to," corrected Shiro, rising from his shameful hunched position, "I doubt he knew what dating was." 

"That doesn't make any sense! He was a sophomore when you were together! Every sophomore knows what dating is," Lance insisted, but a small part of him thought that if anybody didn't know dating, it was Keith Kogane.

Because Keith was so mysterious and distant, nobody really knew anything about him. 

"Yeah, we were dating, but we never really talked. I mean, I would try to talk to him, but he'd only ever give me one word answers," elaborated Shiro, grimacing as old memories returned. "All we ever did was have sex." 

This only intrigued Lance more. What could make a person close up like that? There must've been a reason Keith seemed to have no friends until the day with Allura. Lance felt an itch inside of him grow, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it until he found out why Keith was so Keith. He simply had to know. 

"Must've been good sex then," Lance joked. "You guys lasted what? Seven months?" 

"Nine, actually," Shiro shuddered in remembrance. "Eventually he called it quits." 

Lance and Hunk gave each other a knowing look. They were both there when it happened. Despite having the same lunch hour, Keith and Shiro never ate at the same table, because Keith always disappeared during lunch. He tried to sit at their table once (at Shiro's tenth request), but mostly just looked uncomfortable and avoided eye contact with everyone. 

After nine months Keith approached their table nonchalantly and said bluntly, "Shiro, meet me in the bathroom?" 

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge exchanged suggestive glances and did their best to suppress their giggles. Shiro cooly slid off the bench and let Keith lead him to the bathroom. After two minutes and 12 seconds by Lance's counting (one minute and 30 seconds by both Hunk and Pidge's count), Shiro shuffled back to the table with noticeably less enthusiasm. 

"Keith broke up with me," he had explained. "In a bathroom."

"WHAT?!" Lance had shouted — his forte. "BUT WE THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO—" 

Pidge kicked Lance under the table and Hunk quickly covered, "We're so sorry, Shiro." 

Shiro slumped back into his seat and let his head collapse on the table. "It was so awkward. I thought we were going to, you know, but Keith just said 'I'm breaking up with you, okay?' I mean, who says it like that?" He groaned, "I really wanted to do it." 

"Don't blame you," Lance muttered, earning another, less subtle, kick from Pidge. 

"And then I asked if we could still be friends, because I thought it was the polite thing to do, but he just said 'no' all flatly and Keith-like. What is with that kid?" 

So that was how it happened. For a while Lance hated Keith for doing that to Shiro, but the more he thought about it the more he couldn't understand why. Keith didn't seem like the type to get pleasure out of hurting others. He didn't seem like the type to get pleasure from anything (except maybe sex). 

The question quickly consumed Lance's thoughts. Why is he like that? 

Then that question blossomed into, What was his childhood like? Why doesn't he have any friends? Why does he disappear during lunch? Lance couldn't help but theorize that all the questions were connected. 

And after yesterday, a new question was added: Why Allura? 

Keith was incredibly secretive, that much Lance knew. Shiro tried to get to know him for nine months and only learned that he had a tattoo on his inner thigh: 'in another life'. It was apparently written in tiny cursive. Based on the penmanship Shiro had assumed a woman wrote it, but Lance smiled at the idea of Keith having feminine handwriting, so that was what he preferred to believe. Pidge was a firm believer in the 'he got it when he was wasted and doesn't remember what it means' theory; she had even bet Lance 10 bucks. 

Truthfully, he had spent hours staring at his ceiling wondering about the significance. In another life? Was he just a hipster? He probably found it on Pinterest and decided it looked nice, but because it was Keith, Lance over analyzed it day and night, coming up with zilch. 

"Nine and a half months," Lance corrected automatically, earning deadpan stares from everyone else at the table. Blushing in realization he said, "I just remembered, uh, when you said it." 

Shiro and Hunk seemed to accept this explanation, but Pidge kept their eyes trained on Lance, who was starting to sweat. 

"Not everything is a conspiracy theory, Pidge," Lance continued. "There are no aliens, and I'm not stalking Shiro's relationships." 

Pidge looked personally offended as they rose and insisted, "But there are aliens! How can you believe in mermaids without believing in aliens? That's unheard of!" 

"MERMAIDS ARE SO MUCH MORE REALISTIC THAN ALIENS!!" Lance yelled, overexcited by the topic. He received a few dirty looks, but mostly people were used to his outbursts. "We have evidence of fish existing, Pidge! You know what we don't have evidence of? ALIENS!" 

"Not everything needs evidence," interjected Hunk, who up until this point was focused on his food. "Some things you just feel in your heart." 

Pidge scoffed at that. "Pfft," they flaunted, "that's ridiculous! Feel in your heart? Did you suddenly turn into a Disney Princess? Besides, there's tons of evidence of extra terrestrial life!" 

"He was trying to defend you!" Lance argued back. "And don't mock Disney Princesses!" 

Lance was so engulfed in his conversation he didn't notice Keith walking by on his way to his his table, and because Keith was distracted by the shouting about aliens and mermaids, he didn't notice the food Lance had earlier knocked on the floor. For both of these reasons, and maybe one more, Keith slipped and fell, launching his tray into the air before falling flat on his back. 

That tray just so happened to fall on Lance. 

They both turned to see the cause of their destruction, and saw each other. Lance's face softened when he noticed Keith sprawled out on the floor in a pile of french fries, but Keith's face was as stone cold as ever. 

He rose angrily and shouted, "YOU TRIPPED ME, ASSHOLE!" 

Taken aback and offended by the sudden accusation, Lance insisted, "I did no such thing!" 

"SO YOU THINK I'M CLUMSY?! WHAT, THAT I TRIPPED ON MY OWN?" 

Actually, Lance did think that, because he hadn't even noticed when he spilled the food and assumed the french fries were the result of the tumble. But instead he said, "Do you seriously believe I would trip you? You walk by me everyday and I've never done it before, so why would I start now?" 

Keith grumbled impatiently, "You know why!" 

"No, I don't!" 

"YES, YOU DO!" 

"NO, I DON'T, ASSHOLE!" 

"BECAUSE, FUCKER, YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS THINK THAT WHAT SHIRO SAID YESTERDAY WAS FUNNY! YOU THINK MY SEX LIFE IS SOME BIG JOKE, BUT AT LEAST I'M NOT THE CLASS SLUT!" 

Lance drew back in sharp pain. Although uncalled for, Keith's words were true. Everybody knew Lance was the class slut, among guys and girls alike. 

Shiro and Pidge rose defensively and began shouting at Keith to leave — Pidge with a much more colorful vocabulary. Hunk defended his friend too from where he sat, and somehow was the most intimidating. With regret coating his face, Keith looked as though he wanted to apologize, but retreated without a second thought. Lance mentally added to his list of questions. 

Why is he so quick to fight, but so quick to retreat?

Keith grumbled, turning away from Lance, and upon seeing the hundreds of peering eyes staring him down he blushed bright red. With the pride of a young prince he wiped the food from his clothes and walked out of the cafeteria; his head held high.

Shiro and Pidge sighed and returned to their seats, assuring Lance that he was not the class slut.

Unsettled, and beyond curious, Lance quickly told his friends he would be back soon and left the cafeteria the same way Keith had. He caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure turn the corner and chased after him, following him up two flights of stairs all the way to the roof. 

He cracked open the door and winced as sunlight streamed through. As his eyes adjusted he noticed Keith, sitting criss-cross on an old bench that had been up here for who knows how long. 

Keith noticed him before Lance could do any explaining, and immediately jumped up, on guard. "Drop it, McClain. I don't want to fight, but I will." 

"That's a lie and you know it," chuckled Lance. He knew about Keith's record just as much as the next person. "But I'm not here to fight you." 

Keith furrowed his brows, but maintained his defensive stance. If anything he seemed more defensive. Lance made a mental note of that. 'Why was Keith so guarded?' he asked himself. 

Lance reached into his bag and pulled out a half eaten sandwich he had been saving. He reached out his hand, making Keith flinch. 

'Why, why, why,' thought Lance. 'Why is he so... Keith?' 

"Take it," Lance offered, reaching the sandwich out further. "Since you ruined your lunch." 

"You mean since you ruined my lunch," Keith growled, taking a step forward.

Lance rolled his eyes and, tired of holding his arm out, put the food in the boy's hand. "Sure, whatever. Just eat it." 

Keith stared at the sandwich for a good ten seconds before giving it back to Lance. "I don't need your handouts," he said. 

"Oh my gosh, Kogane, just take it," Lance laughed in frustration, unable to figure out Keith's unnatural behavior. He shoved the sandwich back in Keith's hand, who, defeated, finally accepted it.

He sat on the bench and unwrapped it, smiling to himself, but doing his best to conceal it. This, Lance noticed. 

Truthfully, Keith was starving. He had been out all day yesterday and didn't get home until near midnight. He'd been so exhausted that he'd accidentally slept in and missed breakfast. He tried to slow down, but his eating at a slow pace resembled a snake eating a mouse in one bite. 

Lance plopped down on the opposite side of the bench, leaving enough room between them as he could. He counted the specks of dirt on his shoes while he waited for Keith to say something, but the interaction never came. Unable to stand twiddling his thumbs any longer, he burst, "I wasn't laughing at you." 

Keith looked up in shock, mustard staining his lip. Lance wondered if he had every seen something so cute. Puppies? Kittens? Babies? Mustard covered Keith had them beat. 

"Wha—?" 

"Neither was Pidge, I promise," he continued hurriedly. "We were laughing because Shiro never embarrasses himself. He's always so cool, Keith, it's infuriating! Of course we had to laugh, because Shiro had finally made a mistake!" 

"Oh," Keith whispered, putting the sandwich in his lap politely. "Okay." 

"Okay?" Lance questioned, subconsciously moving closer to Keith on the bench. "That's all?" 

"Erm," Keith thought for a second, but came up with nothing. "Thanks?" 

"You're supposed to say you're sorry!" Lance leaned in, feeling close to an explosion. Keith really didn't understand social cues, did he? 

Keith was taken aback, but matched Lance's fury, leaning forward as well. "Well why don't you apologize?" He shouted. "You tripped me, all I did was call you out!" 

"I told you already, I didn't trip you!" Lance insisted, inches away from Keith.

"Yes, you did!" Keith raised his voice to outdo Lance, his hot breath in the other's face. 

"No, I didn't!" 

"Yes, you did!" 

"No, I didn't! And for fuck's sake, the mustard on your lip is distracting!" Lance caved, wiping is off Keith's face with his thumb. 

Keith turned bright red; his jaw dropped as he came into such intimate contact. He froze up, even after Lance pulled away.

"Hey, Man," Lance started again slowly, concern in his voice. "You're really red. Did you get sunburned yesterday?" 

Keith jumped and turned away quickly. He covered, "Y-yeah, but it's nothing," and carefully tucked a strand of his long locks behind his pink-tinted ears. 

"Here," Lance offered, reaching into his bag and pulling out a container of aloe. "Pidge gets sunburned a lot so I keep this with me," he explained. "Take it." 

Keith shook his head, not wanted to owe Lance anymore. His eyes were still trained on the floor beneath his muddy shoes. 

"It's fine, just return it later," Lance insisted, shoving the item into Keith's grasp. 

Keith finally looked back towards Lance. He was beyond embarrassed, and felt guilty. Of course he wasn't going to return it! He was going to do his very best to never see Lance again. 

They locked eyes for a moment, but being strangers, it was awkward. Every run in Lance had with Keith ended up being awkward, and as much as Lance was intrigued by Keith, he felt a strong urge to run away. They both did. 

"Well, lunch is almost over," Lance shot out of his seat. 

"Yeah, your friends are probably waiting for you," Keith agreed, motioning for him to go ahead.

"Aren't you coming?" Asked Lance, his hand already on the door. 

Keith shook his head and looked up at the pale sky, smiling at the clouds. "No," he decided. "I think I'll stay out here." 

Lance shrugged and thought to himself, 'why does he like the sky? Why does he skip class?'

And with that he took the steps back down one by one. A part of him wanted to rush back to his friends and tell them everything, and ask Shiro about the conversations he had with Keith. He wanted to know if Shiro had ever gotten so close to his lips without kissing them. But a bigger part of him wanted to tell them he had only gone to the bathroom. He wanted to keep his short time with Keith to himself, like a private movie he would play over and over in his head. 

So that's what he did. And nobody knew about the start of something new. Nobody had the chance to warn them.


End file.
